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Today was my first ever trip to a 'Bike Week'. HWMBO actually-finally-took the day off with me and we rode up on the HD Road King-it is a beautiful bike. I love it, but not as much as my XS. It's just not the same...
It's a decent ride on back country roads from where we live. Since my bike is still with Ed-got the last piece of the puzzle this week(Thanks Andreas!!)I rode all the way up trying to look over John's shoulder so I could feel like I was on my own bike. John has a Badlander seat. My backside is usually numb within 10 minutes. By the time I'm 40 minutes into the ride, I have shooting pains going down both legs. Luckily he has mercy on me and takes a break every hour so I can have the blood return to my feet. All I could think about was my big cushy seat on my XS and how I wouldn't be suffering right now if I had MY bike.
The place was really quiet(according to John). I was surprised. I thought there would be more people. We arrived around 11, got a parking space first try, and proceeded to walk around and check things out.
Lots of vendors-but they all had basically the same things. There really wasn't anything unique. I had to really search to find a t-shirt(the one thing I wanted)that didn't have rhinestones on it; wasn't black and orange; or one that wasn't completely in bad taste. I mean really...the torn-look? ICK!
They had the 'wasp' bike contingent there. The price tags were anywhere from 25K to 65K. Are you kidding me?! The first time they hit a bump with one of those ridiculous creations, it will probably break in two, that's if they can actually turn the thing to get it out of it's parking spot. I'm sorry, but that's just silly!
The people...Do I dare comment on that?? Most were relatively tame. We did see the occasional ridiculously attired bleach blonde acting aloof while her outfit screamed 'pay attention to me!! I have to be noticed!!' And of course there were the muscle bound meatheads that are the masculine equivalent of the previously mentioned blonde.
The highlight of the day, and the main reason for this post was my spotting 3 XS's-one 850, 2 11's-all specials. I kept looking for them! Sure, there were some Honda's, Suzuki's, and Yamaha's(XJ, Virago). To his credit, John pointed out one of them to me. He was looking for them too, so that was nice.
After being awash in a sea of chrome all day today-I can't wait to drop off the parts to the mechanic. I couldn't find one bike that I would rather have than my XS. I couldn't find one paint job, one chrome accessory, one 'set-up' that I would trade for what I have. There were some amazing machines there, ones that define the phrase 'money is no object'. None of them turned my head and as I sit here with the picture of the Witch on the desk next to the picture of my daughter in front of me, none of my plans for the bike have changed. I think that's cool.
As far as 'Bike Week' goes...after all these years of not going, I really wasn't missing anything.
It's a decent ride on back country roads from where we live. Since my bike is still with Ed-got the last piece of the puzzle this week(Thanks Andreas!!)I rode all the way up trying to look over John's shoulder so I could feel like I was on my own bike. John has a Badlander seat. My backside is usually numb within 10 minutes. By the time I'm 40 minutes into the ride, I have shooting pains going down both legs. Luckily he has mercy on me and takes a break every hour so I can have the blood return to my feet. All I could think about was my big cushy seat on my XS and how I wouldn't be suffering right now if I had MY bike.
The place was really quiet(according to John). I was surprised. I thought there would be more people. We arrived around 11, got a parking space first try, and proceeded to walk around and check things out.
Lots of vendors-but they all had basically the same things. There really wasn't anything unique. I had to really search to find a t-shirt(the one thing I wanted)that didn't have rhinestones on it; wasn't black and orange; or one that wasn't completely in bad taste. I mean really...the torn-look? ICK!
They had the 'wasp' bike contingent there. The price tags were anywhere from 25K to 65K. Are you kidding me?! The first time they hit a bump with one of those ridiculous creations, it will probably break in two, that's if they can actually turn the thing to get it out of it's parking spot. I'm sorry, but that's just silly!
The people...Do I dare comment on that?? Most were relatively tame. We did see the occasional ridiculously attired bleach blonde acting aloof while her outfit screamed 'pay attention to me!! I have to be noticed!!' And of course there were the muscle bound meatheads that are the masculine equivalent of the previously mentioned blonde.
The highlight of the day, and the main reason for this post was my spotting 3 XS's-one 850, 2 11's-all specials. I kept looking for them! Sure, there were some Honda's, Suzuki's, and Yamaha's(XJ, Virago). To his credit, John pointed out one of them to me. He was looking for them too, so that was nice.
After being awash in a sea of chrome all day today-I can't wait to drop off the parts to the mechanic. I couldn't find one bike that I would rather have than my XS. I couldn't find one paint job, one chrome accessory, one 'set-up' that I would trade for what I have. There were some amazing machines there, ones that define the phrase 'money is no object'. None of them turned my head and as I sit here with the picture of the Witch on the desk next to the picture of my daughter in front of me, none of my plans for the bike have changed. I think that's cool.
As far as 'Bike Week' goes...after all these years of not going, I really wasn't missing anything.
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